Random acts of kindness surprise QC shoppers

It was a lucky day for Quad City shoppers who found themselves on the receiving end of some random acts of kindness Monday.

Laura Bettenhausen’s morning stop at the gas pump got a whole lot brighter when Jennifer Naeve surprised her with $20 towards her purchase.

“$20 is great, $20 for anything is great, much less gas. Definitely have to pay it forward,” said Bettenhausen.

In celebration of their branch’s grand opening, workers from Ascentra Credit Union spent the day surprising their Bettendorf neighbors with the random acts of kindness. They called the program “Stepping Up,” and made stops paying for gas bills, drinks and snacks, and lunch tabs at restaurants near their new 53rd Avenue location.

At Salon Halo, the group paid $20 towards each client’s haircut or service — a pleasant surprise for Nate Durick.

“I think it’s just a good thing for the community, it’s a good thing for people that live in the community, and it benefits a lot of people,” said Durick of the pay-it-forward mentality.

And workers at Ascentra hoped their surprises would snowball.

“If you feel like you have been touched by a random act of kindness, it’s always great to spread that. It makes you feel good. Today is like the best work day, because we get to go out and make everybody’s day,” said Jennifer Naeve, Ascentra’s vice president of marketing.

Many of Monday’s recipients said the surprise would turn them into givers themselves.

“It’s always nice to give back, not always take everything for granted,” said Lindsey Sexton.